Daredevil: Under Fire
by DARK KNIGHT of the MOON
Summary: This is a short Daredevil story that I adapted from one of my favorite comic stories. Daredevil comes upon a house on fire in Hell's Kitchen... As it turns out, the fire is set by a couple little kids by accident. See how Daredevil reacts. READ & REVIEW


**Daredevil Under Fire**

By: Greg Daulton

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I adapted this story from one of my favorite Daredevil comic books, but the names, places and incidents used have been slightly changed to avoid any form of copyright infringement or plagiarism.**

A few nights ago in the suburban part of New York City that was Hell's Kitchen, something tragic happened. No one could believe that such an event could happen to such a sweet group of kids. Little Suzie Bartram and her brother Billy were home from school for the summer. Their mother didn't want the seven-year-old Suzie and the six-year-old Billy to get into any sort of trouble while she and their father worked all day. As a result, she was making them attempt a summer long 4-H seminar on fire safety at their local public library. Suzie and Billy always loved playing in the garage, but their father warned them to never mess with "daddy's stuff". They listened most of the time, but this time, it was different. No one could have imagined that this time things would go horribly wrong.

* * *

It all started when Mrs. Bartram brought Suzie and Billy home from the library on her lunch hour. They had spent the day learning the usual safety precautions, like not to play with matches and never going near gasoline without the supervision of an adult. Today's seminar captivated Billy. He saw the fireman on hand at the library playing with fire and it intrigued him.

As soon as he noticed Mrs. Bartram pull out of the long driveway, Billy went to the garage, through the kitchen. He grabbed the matches from the workbench drawer that he had seen his father put the matches in on several occasions. He had no real idea how to strike a match and light it so he stuffed them in his pants pocket and went back in the house.

As Billy strolled into the living room, he began to wine. "Suzie, I don't know how to strike a match. Will you help me with something for a second?"

"No, go away doofus," Suzie sarcastically remarked sticking her tongue out at her brother.

"C'mon Suze," Billy moaned, "I know how to be a fireman, just like that man at the library. All I need is that stuff in the big red can."

"Oh you better not do that Billy. Daddy said to never mess with any of his stuff in the garage."

"It'll be alright Sis, I've seen Daddy do it plenty of times. All he does is pour that liquid and then the fire starts."

"Oh Billy, you mean the gas. No Billy, Daddy said to never go near that stuff," Suzie cautioned, unsure of what gasoline really was.

"It'll be fun, we can put the fire out once we make it," Billy pleaded.

"Oh alright fine brother. Let's go," the annoyed little girl exclaimed as the two kids headed for the garage.

* * *

About ten minutes later, the phone rang in the garage. Suzie quickly answered. "Hello," she said in a little girl's voice.

"Susan Bartram, why are you answering the phone?"

"Mommy," Suzie exclaimed happily, at the sound of her mother's voice.

"Hey sweetie, what are you guys doin'?"

"Nothing mommy, just playing with Billy," she said smiling at Billy, knowing it was a lie.

"Okay sweetheart well, I love you guys and I have to work a little late tonight, But your daddy will be home soon. I just wanted to check on my babies."

"Okay."

"Bye honey, be good."

"Okay bye," Suzie hung up the phone.

"Was that Mommy?" Billy wondered.

"Yeah, don't worry Billy, we still have time to play fireman. Mommy and Daddy won't be home for a while."

"Goodie," the young boy shouted as he grabbed the gas can. He jerked it from the middle shelf and it flew off of into the floor.

The lid flew off the nozzle and before the two youngsters knew it, gasoline was everywhere.

"Uh oh, you're gonna be in trouble," Suzie cautioned.

"No problem, I see Daddy always open up the garage door whenever he spills the red can," Billy informed his big sister.

Suddenly, Suzie ran and hit a button on the far wall and the garage door opened. It was getting dark. When the children realized this, they began to get a little scared.

"C'mon Sis, who knows hen Mommy and Daddy will be home," Billy muttered dragging the gas can outside to the front yard, beside the driveway. As he carried the can, the remaining contents spilled to the floor of the garage, then onto the driveway and into the grassy yard just outside of the garage.

"C'mon sis, bring those matches."

As the two youngsters stepped outside, Suzie tried to remember how she used to see her mother strike matches for her birthday candles. She then thought about all of those little, pretty flames that topped the candles and lined her birthday cake. The pair was smart enough to know to stand back as they lit the match, for that was something that they saw their father always do. Finally they were ready.

One strike, two strikes, then Suzie had a flame. She quickly threw it down in excitement and fear and watched as a trail of fire magically appeared. Once the flames reached the inside of the garage, a small explosion boomed across the neighborhood. A few passing neighbors couldn't believe what they were seeing. The young children that were responsible for the disaster froze in surprise, as they slowly began to realize that this was a big fire. In fact, the fire continued to grow rather quickly and the two began to understand that they had gotten themselves into a very big mess.

* * *

Meanwhile, on a nearby rooftop, the masked man known only as Daredevil, a.k.a. the man without fear, was patrolling his designated area, Hell's Kitchen. Suddenly he heard a loud boom come from a small development nearby. As he approached from the rooftops, his extra sensory perception picked up piercing screams. It sounded as if there were little children in trouble.

The masked figure raced from rooftop to rooftop, when suddenly the blaze that was the Bartram residence was in full view. He leapt down off a nearby roof and ran into the front yard. He heard screaming and crying from the two young children, and sensed they were inside. The sheer heat of the inferno was overpowering as Daredevil entered the house through the open garage. Suddenly a hook and ladder fire truck pulled up to the residence. Four firefighters rushed out of the truck and readied the fire hose.

From inside, Daredevil found the young Billy Bartram curled up in the corner of the large blazing living room. He grabbed the boy and clasped him to his chest, attempting to exit through the front door. Suddenly, a massive piece of the roof frame fell in front of the doorway. There was no other way to exit the house except through the garage. Daredevil knew better than to subject this poor young kid to the substantial flames and heat. He quickly kicked out the glass of a living room window and calmly told Billy to hang on. With great force, he gave a running start and leapt through the window landing in the front yard.

He pulled the boy from the grass and brushed him off.

"Are you okay, young man?" Daredevil questioned.

"My… My sis-ter is in there," Billy uttered, crying profusely.

Quickly, Daredevil instructed him to go talk to the fireman. As the hose kept the garage's flames at bay, Daredevil rushed back through the house to get the young Suzie Bartram. By now Mr. Bartram, the father of the two kids pulled up in his truck, next to his flaming residence in awe. As he got out of his vehicle, he ran up to the firemen to demand to know what was going on.

Inside the house, Daredevil had Suzie Bartram in his arms, trying to find an easier way out of the fire than that narrow living room window. As he approached the kitchen, he could hear nothing but the loud crackling of flames and the sheer heat was overpowering. He had no choice, but to slip Suzie through the window, and then exit through the garage himself.

After slipping the poor youngster through the window, the masked hero ran through the garage.

"Is everyone alright," Daredevil questioned Mr. Bartram as the father held his daughter and hugged his son, who was gripping onto his leg.

"They're okay, but after I talk to the firemen, I am gonna get my kids to the hospital."

"Smart move sir," Daredevil declared.

"Listen, uh I owe you a thanks… You saved my kids."

"Don't thank me sir. Just make sure you keep better watch of your kids. Someone started a fire here,"

By now Mr. Bartram couldn't take his eyes off of his damaged home. He remained in a trance, as he started to respond to Daredevil's advice. "Yes, well from now on I'll take better precautions. I'll never forget what you did," he said glancing up to see the masked man without fear, climbing up the side of a nearby apartment building and disappearing into the dark and cold New York night.


End file.
